Heating therapies are increasingly used in various medical disciplines including cardiology, dermatology, orthopedics, oncology as well as a number of other medical specialties. In general, the manifold clinical effects of superphysiological tissue temperatures results from underlying molecular and cellular responses, including expression of heat-shock proteins, cell death, protein denaturation, tissue coagulation and ablation. Associated with these heat-induced cellular alternations and responses are dramatic changes in tissue structure, function and properties that can be exploited for a desired therapeutic outcome such as tissue injury, shrinkage, modification, destruction and/or removal.
Heating techniques in the lung pose several technical challenges because lung tissue is more aerated than most tissues and also due to its vascularization. Accordingly, these new heating methods, devices and systems for rapid, controllable, effective and efficient heating of lung tissue are needed. The present invention is directed at meeting these as well as other needs.